4 DFómh 2011, 17:37
Current and future proposals to tackle social welfare fraud will be discussed by the Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education at its meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 5th October.
Officials from the Department of Social Protection will also report on progress made in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the 2009 Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs Report on Social Welfare Fraud.
Chairman of the Committee Deputy Damien English said: “Social welfare has been put in place to protect the more vulnerable and less well-off people in society and is a necessary safety net for many who have fallen on hard times. However, some people are only too willing to take advantage of the system to fraudulently claim benefits which they do not deserve and to which they are not entitled. This fraud and abuse of the system is unacceptable. The most recent statistics from the Department, which show that savings of almost €345 million had been achieved across the Department’s schemes through fraud and control measures, gives some indication to the scale of the problem. At our meeting tomorrow, Department of Social Protection officials will update the committee on current and future proposals to tackle fraud and report on progress made in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the 2009 Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs Report on Social Welfare Fraud.”
This meeting will take place on Wednesday, 5th October, in Committee Room 3, Leinster House 2000 at 9.30am.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education
Membership
Damien English, TD (Chairman)
Ray Butler, TD
Áine Collins, TD
Joan Collins, TD
Michael Conaghan, TD
Barry Cowen, TD
Seán Crowe, TD
Tom Fleming, TD
Brendan Griffin, TD
John Halligan, TD
Seán Kyne, TD
Anthony Lawlor, TD
John Lyons, TD
Nicky McFadden, TD
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, TD
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, TD
Willie O’Dea, TD
Brendan Ryan, TD
Brendan Smith, TD
Peadar Tóibín, TD
Senators
Deirdre Clune,
John Kelly,
Michael Mullins,
Marie Louise O’Donnell,
Averil Power,
Feargal Quinn.